Popping My Mechanical Cherry

which were wireless, some had neat lighting options or extra buttons.
However, until this week all my previous keyboards have used cheap,
non-tactile keys, so I finally decided to treat myself to something better.

<Linux Peripherals Rant>

As much as I would like to say that I found some computer hardware peripheral
manufacturer has full support in linux, I can’t. I understand that it is an
extra challenge for their dev teams to support other OS’s with their more
complex features (like crazing lighting color and patterns, complex macro
setups and so on) but it is still disappointing to get a brand new perperal
home just to find out that 1) it doesn’t really work out of the box and 2) you
have to spend some time finding some kernel modules that have reverse
engineered support for only the most basic features.

…and it still requires manual compliation for each kernel upgrade.

</Linux Peripherals Rant>

For this reason I ended up purchasing and then taking back to the store a very
nice looking keyboard by the Razer company. The basic keys worked but none of
the media keys, macro keys or lighting worked on the keyboard through linux
without some additional software that I’d have to manage.

In the end I chose a low end Logitech keyboard and a Logitech mouse because,
despite some frustrating edge cases in linux, many of the Logitech keyboards
and mice can be configured in a Windows or Mac system (either native install or
a VM) and that config change will often remain active when the keyboard is
just plugged into linux.

Oooh boy, after a decade of becoming and being a Computer Engineer, it is with
a sigh of relief that my hands finally get to type on such nice keys. To be
fair my keyboard at work is mechanical but the keys are just the standard cheap
switches that are found in the low end Dell desktop keyboards.

The G610 uses the Cherry-MX Browns so rather than being super clicky they are
fairly quiet. The tactile feel makes typing things like this post feel much
smoother than it did on my other keyboards.

My only observation is that the throw of the keys is a lot longer than I’m used
to. I’ll probably get used to it after a time, but I did see an alternative
solution for that on Amazon. There are sets of little rubber rings that you can
put around your switches to halt the throw just passed the switch engagement
point. This would have the effect of shortening the throw on each key and would
probably make typing feel a bit quicker. I’ll hold out on that for now though
and see how I feel about it an month or two.